A murder investigation has been launched by West Mercia Police after the body of a woman was found on a lane in Hopwood, Worcestershire, near the border with Birmingham.
The body was discovered by a member of the public on Wast Hills Lane shortly after 6 am this morning (Friday 27 May). Within 10 minutes police officers were at the scene and a cordon has been in place since with the road closed whilst initial police actions were carried out.
Detective Chief Inspector Gerry Smith said: “The woman had no identification on her and we have carried out urgent inquiries to find out who she is. We now believe we have identified her and are working quickly to make contact with her family. This is news that no family ever wants to, or should have to, hear and we will ensure they are supported by specially trained officers.
“At this stage, it is far too early to speculate as to what has happened but it’s important to say that we do not believe there to be any risk to the local or wider community.
“I don’t underestimate the impact that something like this will have on the local community, so you can expect to see additional officers in the surrounding areas while our investigation continues. We have also been incredibly grateful for the support of the community so far today.
“We are following a number of lines of inquiry but to support our investigation we are eager to hear from anyone that was in the area, or traveling through it, in the early hours of this morning who hasn’t yet spoken to our officers.
“If you feel you have any information that could be useful to our investigation team you can submit it via the Police Major Incident Public Reporting Site, otherwise known as the MIPP. This is a direct line into the detectives investigating the murder.
“We will need to keep the road closed for some time yet but we will provide an update when it’s open and provide further information as our investigation progresses.”